Media Contact: Diane R. Johnson, MPH | Mobile: 301-615-1455 | 60 Main Street, Farmington, CT 06032
Miss Porter’s School Honors Dr. Glenda Newell-Harris ’71 with
Student Center Dedicated in Her Name
Naming recognizes contributions and impact of Porter’s first Black student
Farmington, CT, October 1, 2022 – Miss Porter’s School (MPS) announces the dedication of the Dr. Glenda Newell-Harris ‘71 Student Center (DGNHSC). Named for the first Black student to attend Miss Porter’s School, the student center has quickly become a hub of community life for students and faculty alike on the historical Farmington campus. Head of School Dr. Katherine G. Windsor states, “The Dr. Glenda Newell-Harris ’71 Student Center is a living tribute to an amazing woman, physician, and leader who with her gentle strength changed history while influencing the future landscape of the school for generations to come.”
Announced in 2021 as a celebration of Newell-Harris’ 50th class reunion, the MPS community will officially dedicate the DGNHSC in a formal ceremony during its All-school Reunion. Dr. Newell-Harris along with fellow Ancients, what Porter’s calls its graduates, and guests will tour the center and have the opportunity to interact with current students. Newell-Harris shares, “I hope that my name on this building will be revered for more than the name itself, but instead serve as a beacon of hope and light to future students who may, from time to time, doubt their ability to achieve and to be successful. I want them to never doubt [and to], just keep pressing forward.”
After graduating from Porter’s, Newell-Harris earned a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University and her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine. Licensed in six states, Newell-Harris is a nationally recognized, board certified, internal medicine physician who currently serves as the regional medical director at Corizon Health in Oakland, California. Newell-Harris was recognized by the National Medical Fellowship with the 2019 Champion of Health Distinguished Service Award, and received the National Medical Association’s highest recognition, Scroll of Merit Award, in 2014. She is an advisory board member at the University of California San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital-Oakland as well as with Mentoring in Medicine, an organization that prepares students for health care careers.
The first Black Ancient to serve as a trustee, Newell-Harris is a 50-year and life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Incorporated, the nation’s first historical Black sorority, and the 16th national president of The Links, Inc., a 16,000-member, nonprofit service organization of professional women of African descent committed to strengthening the community. Newell-Harris credits Porter’s with providing life changing experiences that prepared her academically, socially, emotionally and culturally for an ever-changing world. She shares, “I am proud to be an Ancient of Miss Porter’s School, a school that remains on the cutting edge of academic excellence and one that promotes and supports bold leadership.”
For media inquiries or a media kit, contact Diane R. Johnson, MPH, Chief Communications and Public Health Officer, Office: 860-409-3695, Mobile: 301-615-1455 or djohnson@missporters.org. Please click here to support the annual fund. To read What It Was Like to be The First from the April edition of The Bulletin, click here.
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About Miss Porter’s School
Miss Porter’s School is a college preparatory boarding and day school for girls in grades 9 through 12. Located in the center of Farmington, Connecticut, the school was founded in 1843 by scholar and educator Sarah Porter. It offers a dynamic, rigorous approach to education that prepares young women to become informed, bold, resourceful and ethical global citizens. Qualified students of any race, color, religious affiliation, national and ethnic origin, ancestry, mental or physical disability, or sexual orientation are welcomed members of the community. For more information about the school and admissions, please visit https://www.porters.org/admission.
About Dr. Newell-Harris
Dr. Newell-Harris grew up in Raleigh and Winston-Salem, N.C. She is the co-author of “Focus on YOUR BEST HEALTH: Smart Guide to the Health Care You Deserve,” and co-founder of a health care consultancy, Newell-Harris & Spriggs Consulting. Dr. Newell-Harris has been honored by the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, the Bay Area Black United Fund, the John Hale Medical Society, and Cinnamongirl, Inc. She is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Married to Robert L. Harris, she is the mother of four grown children and revels in spending time with a new granddaughter.
